Iran talks to continue past deadline

Iran and six major powers are expected to continue their negotiation past Tuesday's deadline for a long-term nuclear agreement as they seek to resolve the most controversial issues, including the continuation of a U.N. arms embargo on Iran.

 Despite Iran’s claims to bearing peaceful intentions, the United States is unwilling to rule out the possibility of Iran using its civilian nuclear program as a pretext to develop its own nuclear weapons capability. An agreement would be the most important milestone in decades towards easing hostility between the United States and Iran, enemies since Iranian revolutionaries captured 52 hostages in the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979.

"We are continuing to negotiate for the next couple of days," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said outside the hotel where the talks between Iran, Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States are taking place.

A deal would certainly be hailed as a masterstroke feat for U.S. President Barack Obama and Iran'spresident Hassan Rouhani as both leaders have been greeted with mounting scepticism at home.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was "every reason" to believe a deal would be done within "a few days", and that there was an "understanding" that most of the current sanctions against Iran would be lifted.